A valve of a faucet is incorporated in the faucet, and opens and closes a passage of a liquid such as cold or hot water to control the flow rate of the liquid.
A typical conventional valve of a faucet is described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a cold-hot water mixed type faucet in which a conventional valve of a faucet is incorporated; and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a rotary disk shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cold-hot water mixed type faucet a comprises a bottom lid 3; a valve of a faucet 1, which comprises a stationary disk 1b and a rotary disk 1a; a top lid 4; a lever 6; a face cover 5; and a cock 12. The disk-shaped bottom lid 3 is provided with a through-hole 7 for forming a passage allowing the inflow of cold water, a through-hole 8 for forming a passage allowing the inflow of hot water, and a through-hole 9 for forming a passage allowing the outflow of cold water and/or hot water. The lower opening of the through-hole 7 is provided with a duct 10 for the inflow of cold water, the lower opening of the through-hole 8 is provided with a duct 11 for the inflow of hot water, and the lower opening of the through-hole 9 is provided with a cock 12 for the outflow of cold water and/or hot water.
The stationary disk 1b is provided with a through-hole 13 for forming a passage allowing the inflow of cold water, a through-hole 14 for forming a passage allowing the inflow of hot water, and a through-hole 15 for forming a passage allowing the outflow of cold water and/or hot water. The respective lower openings of the through-holes 13, 14 and 15 of the stationary disk 1b have the same size as that of the respective upper openings of the through-holes 7, 8 and 9 of the bottom lid 3. The stationary disk 1b is water-tightly secured onto the upper surface of the bottom lid 3 so that the respective lower openings of the through-holes 13, 14 and 15 of the stationary disk 1b are aligned with the respective upper openings of the through-holes 7, 8 and 9 of the bottom lid 3. In FIG. 1, 18, 18 are packings arranged between the upper openings of the through-holes 7, 8 and 9 of the bottom lid 3, and the lower openings of the through-holes 13, 14 and 15 of the stationary disk 1b.
The diameter of the rotary disk 1a is slightly smaller than that of the stationary disk 1b. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the rotary disk 1a is provided with a groove 16 having prescribed shape and depth, for forming a passage of cold water and/or hot water. The rotary disk 1a is arranged in a water-tight so as to form the passage of cold water and/or hot water by means of the groove 16 on the lower surface of the rotary disk 1a, and the through-holes 13, 14 and 15 of the stationary disk 1b.
The lower inner peripheral surface of the top lid 4 is provided with a plurality of projections not shown matching with the shape of a plurality of recesses 17 provided on the side of the stationary disk 1b. The top lid 4 is stationarily secured to the upper surface of the bottom lid 3, and the projections of the top lid 4 engage with the respective recesses 17 of the stationary disk 1b.
The lever 6 comprises a vertical lever 6b and a horizontal lever 6a fixed at right angles to the upper end of the vertical lever 6b. The vertical lever 6b passes through the center portion of the top lid 4, and is connected to the top lid 4 via a movable pin not shown at the portion where the vertical lever 6b passes through the top lid 4. The lower end of the vertical lever 6b is connected to the upper surface of the rotary disk la via a pin not shown. In FIGS. 1 and 2, 22 and 23 are projections and recesses provided on the upper surface of the rotary disk 1a for connecting the lower end of the vertical ever 6b to the upper surface of the rotary disk 1a. The face cover 5 covers the stationary disk 1b, the rotary disk la, the top lid 4, and the vertical lever 6b, and is stationarily secured to the upper surface of the bottom lid 3.
By moving the horizontal lever 6a to the right or to the left, the rotary disk la rotates while sliding along the sliding face formed between the upper surface of the stationary disk 1b and the lower surface of the rotary disk 1a. Furthermore, by tilting the horizontal lever 6a upwardly or downwardly, the vertical lever 6b inclines, and the rotary disk la is pushed by the lower end of the vertical lever 6b, which has displaced by tilting. Thus, the rotary disk 1a displaces in the direction in which the rotary disk 1a is pushed by the lower end of the vertical lever 6b, while sliding along the sliding face.
Cold water flowing through the duct 10, the through-hole 7 of the bottom lid 3 and the through-hole 13 of the stationary disk 1b into the groove 16 provided on the lower surface of the rotary disk 1a, and hot water flowing through the duct 11, the through-hole 8 of the bottom lid 3 and the through-hole 14 of the stationary disk 1b into the groove 16, flow through the through-hole 15 of the stationary disk 1b and the through-hole 9 of the bottom lid 3 out from the cock 12. By displacing the rotary disk 1a through the operation of the lever 6, to cause the relative displacement of the stationary disk 1b and the rotary disk la along the sliding face, the passages for cold water and/or hot water are opened and closed, thus permitting control of the flow rate of cold water, hot water, and mixed cold and hot water.
Each of the rotary disk 1a and the stationary disk 1b is made of any one of a ceramics such as alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, mullite and a mixture thereof, and a metal such as stainless steel and copper.
The lower surface of the rotary disk 1a and the upper surface of the stationary disk 1b, which are in a water-tight contact with each other to form the sliding face therebetween, are polished into smooth surfaces like a mirror. A lubricant such as silicone grease is present between the lower surface of the rotary disk 1a and the upper surface of the stationary disk 1b to improve lubricity of the sliding face.
Now, another conventional valve of a faucet is described below with reference to the drawing. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a faucet exclusively for cold water or hot water, in which a conventional valve of a faucet is incorporated.
As shown in FIG. 3, the faucet B exclusively for cold water or hot water comprises a bottom lid 3; a valve of a faucet 2, which comprises a stationary disk 2b and a rotary disk 2a; a top lid 4; a lever 6; a face cover 5; and a cock 12. The disk-shaped bottom lid 3 is provided with a through-hole 7 for forming a passage allowing the inflow of cold or hot water. A duct 10 for the inflow of cold or hot water is fitted to the lower opening of the through-hole 7.
The stationary disk 2b is provided with a through-hole branched into two upper openings 13, for forming branched passages allowing the inflow of cold or hot water. The stationary disk 2b is water-tightly secured onto the upper surface of the bottom lid 3 so that the lower opening of the through-hole 13 of the stationary disk 2b is aligned with the upper opening of the through-hole 7 of the bottom lid 3. In FIG. 3, 20 is a packing arranged between the upper opening of the through-hole 7 of the bottom lid 3 and the lower opening of the through-hole 13 of the stationary disk 2b.
The rotary disk 2a is provided with two through-holes 21 of the same size as the two upper openings 13 of the through-hole of the stationary disk 2b. The rotary disk 2a is arranged in a water-tight contact with the upper surface of the stationary disk 2b so that the through-holes 21 of the rotary disk 2a and the through-holes 13 of the stationary disk 2b form passages for cold or hot water.
The top lid 4 is stationarily secured to the upper surface of the bottom lid 3, and the inner surface of the top lid 4 is in a firm contact with the peripheral edge of the stationary disk 2b. The cock 12 is fitted to the outside of the top lid 4. The lever 6 comprises a columnar vertical lever 6b and a horizontal lever 6a fixed at right angles to the upper end of the vertical lever 6b. The vertical lever 6b passes through the center portion of the top lid 4, and the lower end of the vertical lever 6b is fixed to a recess 24 provided at the center of the upper surface of the rotary disk 2a. The face cover 5 covers the stationary disk 2b, the rotary disk 2a, the top lid 4, and the vertical lever 6b, and is stationarily secured to the upper surface of the bottom lid 3.
By moving the horizontal lever 6a to the right or to the left, the rotary disk 2a rotates while sliding along the sliding face formed between the upper surface of the stationary disk 2b and the lower surface of the rotary disk 2a. Cold or hot water flowing through the duct 10, the through-hole 7 of the bottom lid 3, the through-holes 13 of the stationary disk 2b and the through-holes 21 of the rotary disk 2a into the top lid 4, flows out from the cock 12. By displacing the rotary disk 2a through the operation of the lever 6, to cause the relative displacement of the stationary disk 2b and the rotary disk 2a along the sliding face, the passage for cold or hot water is opened and closed, thus, permitting control of the flow rate of cold or hot water.
Each of the rotary disk 2a and the stationary disk 2b is made of any one of a ceramics such as alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, mullite and a mixture thereof, and a metal such as stainless steel and copper.
The lower surface of the rotary disk 2a and the upper surface of the stationary disk 2b, which are in a water-tight contact with each other to form the sliding face therebetween, are polished into smooth surfaces like a mirror. A lubricant such as silicone grease is present between the lower surface of the rotary disk 2a and the upper surface of the stationary disk 2b to improve lubricity of the sliding face.
However, the above-mentioned conventional valves of the faucet 1 and 2 have the following problems:
In the above-mentioned conventional valves of the faucet 1 and 2, the sliding of the rotary disk along the sliding face formed between the lower surface of the rotary disk and the upper surface of the stationary disk, which are in a water-tight contact with each other, and a hydraulic pressure of cold water and/or hot water passing through the passages cause, with the lapse of time, gradual removal of a lubricant such as grease present between the lower surface of the rotary disk and the upper surface of the stationary disk. According as the lubricant decreases, a torque required for the sliding becomes larger, and finally, the rotary disk and the stationary disk adhere to each other, thus preventing the rotary disk from moving. This is referred to as the "adhesion phenomenon".
Under such circumstances, there is a demand for the development of a valve of a faucet, which comprises a stationary disk and a rotary disk, and permits a smooth sliding of the rotary disk along the sliding face formed between the upper surface of the stationary disk and the lower surface of the rotary disk without the need of a lubricant such as grease between the upper surface of the stationary disk and the lower surface of the rotary disk, and does not cause the adhesion phenomenon, but such a valve of a faucet has not as yet been proposed.